Selective formation of ethylene from CO2 by catalytic electrolysis at a three-phase interface

A new electrolysis system has been developed for the selective conversion of CO2 to ethylene in which the electrochemical reduction takes place at the three-phase (gas/liquid/solid) interface on a Cu-mesh electrode mediated with copper(I) halide in an aqueous solution of potassium halide. The conversion percentage of CO2 (initial volume: 577 cm3) reaches about 90% by the electrolysis with the electric charge of 8.9 kC, and the selectivity for C2H4 formation is about 75%. The selective conversion of CO2 to C2H4 is attributed to the immobilized copper(I) halide which operates as a heterogeneous catalyst by offering adsorption sites for reduction intermediates such as CO and carbene.